


Blaze of "Glory"

by aroacejoot



Series: Force-Sensitives Have Daemons AU [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Aromantic CC-2224 | Cody, Aromantic Obi-Wan Kenobi, Asexual CC-2224 | Cody, Asexual Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cody is slightly Force-sensitive, Established Relationship, Force-Sensitive CC-2224 | Cody, Gen, Hurt CC-2224 | Cody, Love Does Not Equal Attachment, M/M, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Queerplatonic Relationships, Same-Sex Daemons, battlefield injuries, i can finally add that tag now that he's legit, queerplatonic codywan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29602902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroacejoot/pseuds/aroacejoot
Summary: Cody knew, deep in his gut, that this blast was not survivable. Not for anyone--save maybe a Jedi.(an AU of the Force Daemons AU)
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody & Original Daemon Character(s), CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Daemon Character(s)
Series: Force-Sensitives Have Daemons AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1960843
Comments: 56
Kudos: 107
Collections: New SW Canon Server Works





	1. Battlefield, Cody POV

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this bad boy for a while and now i've finally decided to start getting myself in gear and posting. 
> 
> please enjoy!

Cody knew, deep in his gut, that this blast was not survivable. Not for anyone--save maybe a Jedi. 

Fire blossomed with a roar so loud it was soundless. The smoke and flames were a violent sunset, erupting into the sky and--somehow--Cody’s own ribcage. A surge of burning air swept past him and the unnatural heat washed over his plastoid shell. Debris flung up by the explosion ricocheted forcefully off the inside of his visor, each one carving blinding spiderwebs into the viewplate’s transparisteel and knocking out the HUD.

Cody wasn’t quite sure when he hit the ground, didn’t really expect to be alive for it. Everyone else was probably killed on impact. 

Lucky for Cody, he was command-class. Enhanced CC genetics gave him all the resilience he needed to reach death the long way. 

He tried to prepare himself for that.

At least General Kenobi wasn’t here. Ben would’ve been blown to dust. And even if not, neither of them should be forced to watch Cody march away. 

It was funny. Cody had always imagined that he would go out protecting his General--some sort of final stand or split-second save. It hadn’t even occurred to him since his cadet days that he might die alone. Somehow, it just made  _ sense _ that Obi-Wan Kenobi and his tiny little daemon would be there too. 

And now, here he was, being grateful the man was somewhere else.

Through the molten agony in his chest, he sent a mental apology to his Jedi. 


	2. Battlefield, Obi-Wan POV (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, over on Obi-Wan's side of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to leave you all hanging on the prologue for too long so here's chapter 2 in all its finally polished glory!
> 
> also special thanks to Amijentz and nightdotlight for helping me rub my tired braincells together and edit everything!

A sharp needle of pain lanced through the battlefield and into Obi-Wan’s brain. For a brief moment, Obi-Wan thought he’d pulled something in his forehead. 

Realizing what it  _ actually _ was pulled something in his heart instead.

It had always been easy to sense Cody in the Force. He wasn’t quite Force-sensitive, but his connection to it was still much stronger than that of his brothers—at least, of the ones Obi-Wan had met. It made him easy to pick out in a crowd.

Or in the storm of pain and determination that was an active war-zone.

The fact that he could feel this past his shields did not bode well. 

“Ben?” 

“On it!”

The tiny elf owl took to the air, using his vantage point and the Force in combination to locate their Commander, while Obi-Wan finished cleaning up the current wave of droids. As badly as he wanted to rush to Cody’s aid, Obi-Wan couldn’t leave this position without ensuring the men here could hold it without him. He couldn’t sacrifice their lives just for peace of mind. 

So Obi-Wan kept moving. He forced himself to stay focused, to power through, even though the worry constricted his lungs and sat, heavy and burning, in his chest like corrosive acid. All he could do right now was complete his task and trust in the Force. 

The battle would be over as soon as Oddball and his pilots broke through the planetary blockade. The incoming air support would break the relative stalemate and give them the push to quickly end things—as well as hopefully provide an opportunity to start transporting the worst of the wounded to the Negotiator’s well-equipped medbay. He had complete faith that Oddball would get it done, the man was truly impressive and had grown into well-deserved confidence since that vulture droid incident on Teth. 

But would it be in time?

Obi-Wan was shaken from his pondering as his senses flared in warning for him to duck. 

It was a difficult balance, without the Force’s guidance it would be impossible to block every blaster bolt, catch them at just the right angle to deflect them back towards the enemy, and keep his blade from interfering with the shots of the troopers taking cover behind the whirling shield of blue plasma. 

Through the bond in the back of his mind, Ben pointed out the smoke billowing from the direction of Cody’s last position. Obi-Wan sank deeper into the Force in response. He surrendered his limbs as a vessel for the Force’s will and, in return, it relieved him of the burden of his thoughts and kept the brave troopers behind him alive long enough to hear the sound of friendly Y-wing bombers overhead. 

Much like on Geonosis, a cheer went up through the men as the air support came into view, releasing their devastating payload into the Separatist lines and blowing their hold-outs sky-high. 

The tides had finally turned in their favor.

Obi-Wan almost felt like cheering alongside them, albeit with a slightly different reason. With the support of the pilots assured, it was finally safe to look for his Commander. 

It took less than a second to locate and inform the nearest officer of their plan. He was helping those still in good condition regroup for a sweep to clear out whatever scattered Separatist remnants were missed in the bombing run.

“Waxer!” he called, raising his voice over the silent battle din still ringing in his ears, “I think Cody’s been wounded! I’m heading out to check on his platoon!”   
  


Ever perceptive, Waxer could hear the unspoken question.    
  


_ Can I leave with a clear conscience? _

  
“We can take it from here, sir!” 

The anxiety roiling in Obi-Wan’s stomach must have shown, somehow, on his face as he released it into the Force. Or, perhaps it was more of Waxer’s perceptiveness. No matter the cause, it was with a gentle sort of pride that Waxer added, 

“Sir, the Commander’s stubborn as a bantha. He’s not the type to die easy.” 

Obi-Wan smiled and nodded through the lurking bad feeling as he turned to leave. 

Wasting no more time, the pair took off in the direction of the smoke, using the Force to augment their speed. They had no idea how long it had been since they felt Cody’s injury and time was of the essence. 

Only Ben was around to hear, when Obi-Wan finally muttered, “I do hope you’re right, Waxer.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (does it bother anyone else that heroes are always running off to save someone without saying a word about it to anyone and just leaving their allies to fend for themselves? or is that just me?)


	3. Battlefield, Obi-Wan POV (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody is found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? a daily update schedule? enjoy it while you can, folks i'm surprised myself.
> 
> (also, consistent chapter lengths? who's she?)

Unconsciously, they slowed as they reached the site of the explosion.

The crater was massive and reeked heavily of death in the Force. The dense aura of pain was so strong it was difficult to tell what was real and what was merely an echo, left by men who died too quickly to feel their agony in full. Perhaps it was a mercy, given the carnage, that it was mostly the latter. 

Only a few of the strewn bodies he saw were recognizable. Solemnly, Obi-Wan filed their names away. 

He wished he had more names. Too many were shinies. 

If Cody were still alive, he would have to be somewhere on the edge of the blast radius. 

It was clear no one had survived the center.

The crunch of charred earth under his boots grated like a serrated blade on his nerves. Each step felt far too loud, an auditory intrusion into the silence of the dead. The bones of walkers served as headstones to mark the fallen, the explosion an instant pyre. Still, the pair trudged onward. Determined. 

They rounded a fallen AT-TE and Obi-Wan’s heart stopped. 

Cody.

From there, everything seemed to speed up and slow down at once.

“Ben, comm a medic!”

Obi-Wan thrust out his arm, giving Ben access to the wrist-communicator embedded in his vambrace while he sank to the ground beside the wounded commander. Ben’s voice was drowned out by the panic pounding in Obi-Wan’s ears as he checked for a pulse. 

_ Oh Force, please don’t let me be too late. _

There! It was weak but it was beautifully, mercifully  _ there _ and that knowledge would have to be enough to steady his hands as he got to work. 

It seemed that shrapnel from the explosion had come up from below and managed to jam itself into the narrow gap between the upper and lower halves of the torso armor. 

The twisted metal was almost the length of Obi-Wan’s hand, and Force knew how much longer the rest of it was. It was impossible to tell what the piece had originally belonged to, which meant he had little to go on for what it might look like inside. Even if it was small, this was a dangerous angle. Obi-Wan desperately hoped it hadn’t nicked Cody’s stomach or else his meager knowledge of Force-healing would only prolong the Commander’s suffering. 

“Don’t you  _ dare _ die on me, Commander!”

Obi-Wan was not a natural healer, he did not have the talent necessary to work miracles nor excel in this field, but he had worked hard after the death of his Master to cultivate some basic ability. He’d never wanted to feel so helpless again, to be forced to sit and watch, utterly useless, as a loved one faded at that agonizing speed which was too fast and too slow all at once. 

“Helix is on his way,” Ben hopped anxiously onto the ground, freeing up Obi-Wan’s other arm, “Riley and Dunker are coming with the medevac.” 

“How long?”

A wave of frustrated despair flooded the bond.

“Ten minutes. Seven if we’re lucky and Roost flies like a maniac.”

Kriff. 

“ _ Kriff _ , I can’t--we can’t--” Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut, took a breath, tried to wrestle his emotions into the Force before they buried him too deep to be of any use. It didn’t quite work, they were still churning in the back of his mind, but he pulled himself together enough to at least regain some semblance of functionality and composure. “I will... need some assistance with this.”

Ben nodded, orange eyes slanted in determination even as his tail feathers twitched nervously. The glint of fear was certainly mirrored in Obi-Wan’s own gaze, but at the same time there was also the firm steel. Obi-Wan was stubborn and always had been. He would do what he must. 

When he spoke, his voice was firm and wobbled only slightly. 

“Hold the shrapnel steady while I work.”

“Got it.” 

It was a risky move, as all unprofessional Force-healing was, but this was the only way to buy time until true medical support could arrive. 

_ Come on, Cody. Stay with me. Keep fighting. _

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and placed his palms gently on the Commander’s chest. Sinking deep into the currents of the Force, Obi-Wan could see the warm, bright light of his daemon as Ben held the metal in place--tendrils of tangible thought twining around the foreign object. He could also feel the faint, struggling, ember of life beneath his hands and willed it to strengthen, to  _ stay _ . In this state of attunement, he could see the ethereal speck of what--had genetics twisted just slightly further--could have been a daemon, dim and shrunken. Not a good sign.

The wound was beyond his capability to heal, but he would do what he could to keep him alive for the medevac. 

Obi-Wan wrapped the force of his mind around the edges of torn, ragged skin, and begged them to unite. It was clumsy and imprecise and draining and exhausting and felt like the most desperate round of herding tookas. The longer it dragged on without truly changing anything the harder it was for Obi-Wan to hold his fear at bay. He was running out of energy. 

“Please, Cody.” he pleaded, “I need you to hold on just a little longer. I know you’re stronger than this. You’re stubborn as a bantha and Waxer deserves the chance to say it to your face and get latrine duty for it. Your brothers are expecting you home, my dear, so I’m afraid you’re not allowed to march away just yet.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t see the extent of the blood pooling below the slowly crying wound, but he didn’t need to. Not when he could feel it soaking into the knees of his trousers. 

Time was slipping. How long had it been? How much longer did they have--did  _ Cody _ have?

_ Force, _ Cody was  _ dying. _

Obi-Wan was doing this wrong, wasn’t he. 

He was failing. His emotions were clouding his judgement and clouding the Force and he needed serenity for his task but he couldn’t  _ find _ it. Couldn’t pause to look because he was too busy trying to keep his Commander--his brave, thoughtful, loyal, Cody-- _ alive.  _ Obi-Wan clung tightly to the scraps of his earlier calm.

To lose his composure now would be the same as giving up.

He couldn’t let that happen.

Ben sent him a wave of reassurance, bolstering Obi-Wan’s flagging strength with some of his own. 

With the slight revitalization came clarity that, if he continued the way he was now, he would burn himself out to little benefit. Like pouring water through a sieve, it would soon simply drain back out, and there was not enough water to last. His meager understanding of the healing arts were not only insufficient, they were likely misapplied--perhaps even misdirecting himself. 

It crystallized in Obi-Wan’s mind. In order to help Cody hold on, he would have to take a moment to let go. 

And so, ignoring the fearful protests of his logical mind, Obi-Wan pulled back, centering himself. 

A deep breath in.

_ No Emotion, Peace.  _ (In this moment, his emotions were a potentially fatal distraction and a clear head was essential.)

_ No Ignorance, Knowledge.  _ (Only through discarding what he thought he understood would he find a solution.)

_ No Passion, Serenity.  _ (Desperation would tunnel his vision and blind him to the best path.)

_ No Chaos, Harmony.  _ (The human body was a collection of atoms and cells and systems all intertwined, and, in order to succeed, he would have to work in concert with them.)

_ No Death, the Force.  _ (He could not prevent death without first understanding and accepting its reality as a possible outcome.)

With a heavy exhale, Obi-Wan opened fresh eyes anew. 

He had been focusing on the skin before, knitting it together around the metal shard in the hopes of creating enough of a seal to stem the bleeding. Now, at the nudge of instinct, Obi-Wan plunged deeper, down to the cells themselves. He tugged at his own life-force, feeding threads like kindling to myriad tiny, sputtering furnaces. 

Then he realized the winds of the Force had shifted and now blew through him like bellows, stoking the flame. 

Something shuddered against his senses. A new presence fading not out of but  _ into _ existence. 

It took up the space that the almost-daemon had occupied but, if that were true, then…

Well, if that were the case then Obi-Wan might be able to guide Cody into a healing trance and buy them all more time. They could think about the implications of this later, when everyone was back on  _ the Negotiator _ and the Commander was recovering. 

The wound was likely as sealed as it was going to get, anyway.

Carefully, Obi-Wan extricated his focus from the cellular level and wrapped the warmth of the Force around Cody’s mind, soothing the pain-haze and tugging him gently through the first layers of the trance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts and theories in the comments :)


	4. Battlefield, Obi-Wan POV (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help arrives and at least 75% of our main cast get a nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting this as i close at work bc i want to ride this streak of daily updates as long as i can. 
> 
> (unfortunately, the au worldbuilding infodump wont be in this chapter bc i had to split it in order to accomplish an Idea TM)
> 
> enjoy!

With Cody in a hopefully stabilizing trance, there was little else for Obi-Wan to do but watch the skies for signs of the medevac. 

He looked over at the daemon--the creature that _might_ be a daemon but nevertheless was undeniably _Cody's._

It was motionless apart from the steady, visible rise and fall of its chest. Asleep.

Thank the Force.

He was certain he wouldn't be able to pull off whatever that was a second time. 

Obi-Wan couldn't tell how long it had been before he and Ben suddenly became aware of the hum of an approaching engine. 

<They’re here!>

The triumphant joy that poured from Ben was a tangible thing and Obi-Wan was not far behind. At that moment, no sight could have been more beautiful than the sliding doors of a LAAT/i opening to reveal a team of medics. By the time Roost landed the ship, the medics were already rushing over and Obi-Wan had all but collapsed from relief. 

They quickly descended upon him in a benevolent swarm. Hovering and assessing and already asking questions as they prepared Cody for transport. 

Dunker placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and Obi-Wan belatedly remembered to remove his own hands from Cody’s chestplate. 

“General Kenobi, with all due respect, sir, you’re looking significantly worse than we were informed and... I’ve served long enough to know that the Commander’s condition shouldn’t be this good, given the time-frame. What did you do, sir?” 

The problem was, Obi-Wan didn’t quite _know_ what he’d done, exactly. Not at the end, at least. Not the part that worked. That had been pure instinct, guided by the will of the Force, and he still didn’t fully understand its effects.

He answered with the truth.

“Enough, hopefully.”

If Dunker was disappointed by the lack of detail, he was too polite to say anything. But as the medic turned back to the more pressing patient, Obi-Wan could tell his words had confirmed some sort of suspicion. 

Probably that Obi-Wan wasn’t going to be much help at the moment. 

Which, if true, would be fair. He was very tired.

Ben continued to hold the shrapnel in place with the Force as Riley and Dunker carefully loaded Cody into the ship. 

None of them seemed quite sure what to do with the extra party.

"Bring the canine and keep them as close to Cody as possible. Follow standard daemon protocol until further notice."

The only one unburdened by wounded, Roost quickly darted out of the cockpit to follow the daemon’s instructions. 

It was good that Ben was still on top of things. His cautious nerves somehow always twined into durasteel during a crisis and Obi-Wan was infinitely grateful for him. 

Apparently, Ben caught that thought, because an identical mirror of the emotion rolled through their bond. The unwavering fondness was a shot of warmth to chase the receding adrenaline. 

With the Commander situated aboard the medical LAAT/i, Helix helped Obi-Wan to his feet. Though, the word “help” might be a bit of an understatement, as Obi-Wan quickly discovered his legs would not hold his weight. Helix caught him, thankfully, before he could fall back to the dirt. However, his dignity received no further consideration from the man, who simply shifted to carrying him the few feet to the ship. 

Everything after the medevac took off was a bit hazy. He was sure he must've been in and out of consciousness a few times on the ride back to _the Negotiator._

He remembered at least informing someone of the healing trance at some point. It might've been Riley? He wasn’t sure.

And then the next thing he remembered was waking up on a cot, surrounded by the tell-tale presence of very busy medics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helix belongs to SWmoddy (even though i thought he was canon for months until i couldn't find his wookieepedia page). Dunker and Riley are mine tho :)


	5. Medbay, ??? POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally another POV from a character who isn't Obi-Wan! (Don't worry that won't last long)

It was cold. 

That was, somehow, the first thing she became aware of. 

She'd never been cold before. 

She'd never been a lot of things before. Barely anything.

She wasn't sure why she was now. 

But she could feel that things were different. That _she_ was different. 

She wasn't quite sure, yet, if she liked it.

Another new thing she was feeling was _exposed._

Where was Cody? 

He was always there. He was her _person._

He couldn't be gone. That wouldn't be right. 

But something was wrong with him. She could sense it, his dim blurriness. And if something wasn't right then maybe other things would be not-right. 

Maybe that was why she was feeling this way.

She whimpered and was surprised by the sound. By the fact that sound could come from her at all. 

Familiar voices surrounded her. They had been speaking for a while but not to her and they were hard to make out. They sounded like Cody but a lot of voices sounded like Cody and, even muffled, she knew these ones weren't him. 

He was close, though. But not like normal. 

She stretched all four legs out--how strange, to have legs--hoping to find her Cody at the end of them. He wasn't but she did discover a strange, crinkly sheet that was apparently covering her body. 

It would've been nicer if it were him. 

The act of moving was exhausting, which was frustrating. She needed to move to get this sheet off and find her person. She needed to but she couldn't even get her eyes open. 

She could still whimper, though. So she did. 

A warm weight pressed on her and a Brother-Not-Cody spoke. It was gentle and kind but even harder to hear than the rest for how much quieter it was. 

Something about being alright? 

She didn't remember anything after. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever think about the logistics of medical treatment when daemons exist and need to be in your operating theater?


	6. Medbay, Obi-Wan POV (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan has some theories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We now return you to your regularly scheduled Kenobi content TM.
> 
> (not super happy with this chapter so i might edit it some more later.)

Obi-Wan was confined to the medbay for Force-exhaustion until the end of the week. For once, Obi-Wan wouldn't argue with that. He had no energy to escape, anyway. An intense weariness had settled deeper than the marrow of his bones, filling them with lead and thick fatigue. He felt like every inch of his body had run its own individual marathon and then his soul had sprinted the Kessel Run. 

The priceless look Helix gave him when he agreed to stay put made him almost wonder if he should acquiesce more often. 

He hadn't thought Helix's face could contort like that.

At least Helix had allowed them a datapad. He probably knew they wouldn’t be getting any more sleep until either Cody got out of surgery, or they passed out working. And at least Helix could rig the latter in favor of them getting some rest. 

Off the battlefield, it was much easier to sense Cody’s Force signature. It was still dim, he was still injured and unconscious and still had that strange passenger, but he was alive for the moment. 

And that strange passenger was practically a beacon compared to all on the ship apart from Ben and himself. He imagined Cody's presence would brighten to match, as he awoke. 

All signs seemed to point in the direction of Force-sensitivity. 

When Obi-Wan was too tired to focus his eyes on the reports he’d been looking over with Ben, he started simply observing the well-oiled machine of GAR medical care humming and whirling all around him. At one point Kneecap came through the medbay with a dislocated shoulder. He’d been one of the men taking cover behind Obi-Wan’s defensive Soresu earlier, and It was gratifying to know that he had saved more than one life that day.

He didn’t realize he’d drifted off again until he awoke to the footsteps of a young-looking medic who approached their cot with a datapad and a nervous expression. Obi-Wan hoped that it was simply because the man disliked the spotlight of conversing with his commanding officer and not a fear of broaching a difficult topic. 

"How is Cody?" He asked before they’d even reached the foot of his bed. 

“The surgical team just finished the operation and are prepping his bacta tank, General."

Physically, Obi-Wan's limbs were still heavy and leaden, but that information alone lifted an enormous weight from his chest. And yet...

“I sense there’s more to your visit than to simply deliver the good news.”

The trooper straightened.

“Yes, sir. Before we dunk him, Helix sent me to ask you some questions, General, about the Commander’s situation. He said that he needs to know if the new development will affect the Commander’s recovery in any way, as well as if it’s permanent.” 

<I’ll let you handle this conversation.>

<Hold on a moment, why me?! I’m the one whose head still feels like an overripe jogan fruit!>

<Because I know even _less_ about what you did back there. Besides, I’ve been doing all your work lately.>

Obi-Wan held back the childish ‘have not!’ because Ben was clearly joking. Unfortunately for his still-mushy body and mind, Ben did have a valid point about the rest of it. 

“Alright,” he said, pushing himself up to sit with as much authority and dignity as a patient could have under the gaze of medical personnel, “I must warn you that I, myself, do not have all the answers, but I can at least tell you what I _do_ know and what I suspect.”

<And feel free to jump in at any time, Ben,> he added. 

Ben simply gave a mental smirk as he hopped up to his usual ‘negotiating’ perch on Obi-Wan’s left shoulder. 

“So,” he began, “I suppose we should begin by asking how much _you_ know about daemons.”

“Besides that we’re all devilishly handsome, of course.”

<Not quite what I meant when I said jump in.>

The medic, who Obi-Wan finally placed as one of the new recruits by how he couldn't quite hide his surprise when Ben spoke, rubbed his neck sheepishly.

“I don't really know much, sir. Just that all the Jedi have them and that you’re connected through that Force stuff, which is why we can't touch them or let you get separated."

Obi-Wan smiled that--shiny or not--he was already comfortable enough in their battalion to call the Force 'stuff' in front of him. Of course, it might be that he and Ben baffle the medics the most. Either way, the smile seemed to make him less nervous, which Obi-Wan considered a victory. 

"You are correct in that all Jedi have daemons, and that we are intrinsically bound to one another," he tilted his head towards Ben, who nodded back, "However, they are not exclusive to us. All sentient beings have a sort of 'Force-knot' within them, which is tied to the Force in the way a daemon would be. That is, unless the being has enough of a connection to the Force to externalize this 'knot' and allow it to draw its raw materials from the Force to give itself substance, creating a true daemon. I believe Cody was in a rare middle ground, where his connection was strong enough to complete the first step, but not the second."

That seemed to draw a reaction, as the trooper’s eyes pinched and widened in a befuddled astonishment.

"The Commander was already Force-sensitive before, sir?" 

"Not _quite--_ or at least, not _fully_ . For as long as I've known him, his presence has always been noticeably... _brighter_ than human average. However, while there may have been a sort of passive sensitivity, I highly doubt he would have been able to actually channel or manipulate the Force in any way. He's certainly never mentioned anything of the sort to Ben or myself." 

“Human average for what, sir?"

"Force presence. The sort of sense or _feeling_ of an individual--I'm sorry, I realize this must sound like smitten ramblings. To answer your initial question, no, I doubt this will pose any concern for his recovery. In fact, I would expect this to speed it up, if anything. As for whether his Force-sensitivity is permanent...” 

Obi-Wan paused, just for a moment, to look at his own daemon.

“I genuinely do not know...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent way too long stuck on trying to name the shiny medic before realizing that "wait, I don't have to. I can just say Obi-Wan knows it and get on with the rest of the chapter." 
> 
> sometimes I forget that I'm the one in charge of this story.
> 
> If you're wondering or confused, here are my exact notes from my worldbuilding document: [When Cody nearly dies and Obi-Wan uses the Force to heal him, it kicks off a chain reaction in Cody's cells. The direct sharing of Force energy stimulates Cody's midichlorians and encourages them to replicate, increasing his count past the threshold for daemon manifestation]


	7. Medbay, Ben POV (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain someone is finally introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last! A Ben POV! 
> 
> and since its from a daemon's POV that is actually like, fully conscious, newcomers to this series will be coming across the word "nehreqah" which is the word this universe uses to refer to the non-daemon member in a pair (it is derived from an old Dai Bendu term for "tether" or "anchor" and has been loaned into Basic since jedi are the most culturally prominent group of FS people in the Republic. "daemon" would also be a loanword but the Dai Bendu pronunciation/spelling is "Daimon" bc "Dai" is the DB word for the Force)

Ben and Obi-Wan had been sitting in the bacta chambers doing flimsiwork on a datapad for a few hours--ever since he had convinced Rhino that allowing Obi-Wan to leave his cot and see Cody would be the best way to keep Obi-Wan resting. They’d already directed what little remained of the clean-up from aboard the Negotiator. It wasn’t their typical style to stay behind on the ship, but with Oddball in-system there was at least another high enough ranking officer to delegate to, and he’d done well with taking up the responsibility while all three--soon to be four?--of his COs were indisposed. Unless you were one of his pilots it was easy to forget that Oddball held the rank of Commander, and so he was rarely called to do this sort of work. 

Thankfully, he was understanding of why the Jedi pair had to stay here; to make sure that there were no adverse effects from the rushed Force-healing on Cody, and that the daemon he’d spontaneously manifested was stable. 

And, of course, because Helix was still adamant about rest.

The daemon in question was a canid of some sort, mostly tan but with a saddle-shaped patch of black starting from behind the shoulders. Large ears sat on top of a long skull and a long tail lay limp against the floor. 

At this point, it was still possible the daemon’s existence was temporary, that an accidental transfer of midichlorians into an already nearly Force-sensitive Cody had caused an unsustainable, impermanent manifestation. If so, it would be best to proceed with caution. 

Even on the High Council, neither Ben nor Obi-Wan had heard of such an occurrence--not that they’d had time to really peruse the wealth of knowledge available to them now. Ben had just submitted a request to the Archives but Madame Nu had yet to get back to him on her research. 

Taking his mind off the enigma of what came next, Ben lifted his head to take in Cody’s current state once more.

Cody floated just in front of them, looking even more pale in the blue light of the bacta than he had bleeding out on the field. The incisions made by the medics to remove the shrapnel were still visible, lines of clinical precision radiating out in a way that--funnily enough--resembled the sun rays painted on his armor. Ben couldn’t exactly find it amusing right now, but maybe later. 

At least Cody seemed to be healing well. The Commander had a few close calls and would probably be in the tank for over a week, but barring any surprises he was likely out of the woods.

Speaking of surprises.

At the base of Cody’s tank, on a pair of bunched-up standard issue blankets, lay an unconscious form. The daemon had not stirred once, as far as Ben had seen--though apparently they had whimpered once or twice when Helix and Riley were stitching Cody back up. 

Now, Ben could feel the fog in the Force lift ever so slightly. 

They were waking up.

The other daemon twitched and Ben sent a brief pulse of excitement-alarm to Obi-Wan before fluttering down to the floor. Obi-Wan gave Ben a look that said he’d leave the talking to him, but that he would not be taking his eyes off the situation. 

“Hello there, my name is Ben. Do you know where you are?” 

The other daemon seemed to panic for a split second before looking at Ben and relaxing. 

“I’m... on the ship?” A feminine voice answered, unsure, then picked up, “Where is Cody?!”

“Cody is fine, don’t worry. He’s right behind you. We would never separate you from him.” 

Ears and eyes swiveled in the direction of the bacta tank, locking on to the figure floating within, and the tension seemed to leak out of her(?) form. 

“I know you,” she blurted, turning back to Ben, “you were always a nice, warm light. Cody likes you.” 

Ben’s heart shouldn’t have jumped so hard at that. It was, afterall, something he already knew--something he was certain of in his bones--and yet... it was surreal to hear it from _Cody’s daemon._

“Oh--I--thank you! I would--I would hope he does.” 

_Agh, what kind of response was that?!_

_ < _ Well _I_ think you’re doing just fine, Ben,> came an amused voice from across the bond, <Besides, if she recognizes you then it’s not as if you need to worry about first impressions.>

Ben shot a fierce look back at his nehreqah, who raised his hands in a gesture of innocence.

<Don’t tease! I’m flustered!>

<I’m not!>

A grunt drew their attention back to the new daemon as she shifted and tried to push herself up off the floor, legs wobbling. It seemed to take an immense amount of effort.

“I would recommend laying still,” Obi-Wan jumped in, apparently no longer able to feign distraction, “There is nothing you need to do right now except rest.” 

Exhausted by even that simple exertion, she collapsed back down, laying her head on her forelegs.

<You know, I don’t think she’ll mind if you join us.>

Obi-Wan approached cautiously, but the daemon made no move when he knelt on the floor beside Ben. In fact, her tail twitched ever so slightly--once to the right and once to the left. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Tired… and strange…”

Ben swiveled his head and exchanged a look with his nehreqah. 

“Strange how?”

For a long moment she was silent. Fearing she’d lost consciousness, Ben opened his beak to repeat the question, but she continued.

“I feel… exposed…” her furry brow scrunched slightly, eyes closed in thought, “I used to be smaller, but I don’t think I was supposed to be.” 

“May we look you over with the Force?”

A tired nod. 

Closing his eyes, Ben reached out with his senses and could feel his nehreqah do the same. Carefully, he nudged her Force signature, noting the sluggishness of her response with a mental frown. Still, overall she appeared--if not completely stable--at least not deteriorating. 

It was a good sign but there was still so much they didn’t know.

Who knew how quickly her condition could turn.

By the time he and Obi-Wan were done with their impromptu examination, slow, steady breaths signaled that the daemon had already fallen back asleep.

With his datapad, Obi-Wan took a small holo. Cody deserved to be able to see her, even if she disappeared before he awoke. 

Ben sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be needed.

\---

The daemon woke up a few more times during Cody’s stint in the bacta tank but never for very long. Hopefully that could be attributed to her nehreqah’s current state, rather than a sign of manifestational instability. 

Cody had also regained consciousness at one point. However, it had lasted less than a minute and--judging by the vacant glaze in his half-lidded eyes--he hadn’t been lucid at the time. He saw and registered nothing even as he blinked and shifted, before finally falling back into a dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to cut so much out of this chapter to keep the pacing from dragging out forever, including but not limited to:  
> -oddball is one of cody's batchmates (bc he's CC-2237 which is super close to cody's CC number) and wishes cody well  
> -ben used his adorable appearance to assist in convincing Rhino, who is a medic from the 2nd Airborne and thus hasnt built up an immunity to ben's tooka eyes like the 212th medics, to let him and obi-wan hang out in codys room instead of their own.  
> -trying to have an explicit pronoun preference conversation (which also ended up not making sense with the fact that she'd be way too sleepy to contemplate the intricacies of gender) 
> 
> Soon, she will have a name, but for now all i can say is that she's a german shepherd.


	8. Medbay, Cody POV (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek at our favorite Commander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at last we return to Cody's POV. Sorry its so short (and the next one wont be much longer)
> 
> I did add an extra couple paragraphs to last chapter tho so hopefully that makes up for it

Everything was dark. 

It was dark, but not cold. 

It wasn’t warm, either. Just a vast, foggy, neutral. 

Cody was exhausted. 

In the back of his hazy thoughts there was a strange sensation. Something was off. 

It didn’t feel  _ wrong _ , though. Just new. Like a tiny spark, or a candle shining inside his skull.

Whatever it was, it felt like it belonged there. Cody put it out of his mind for now.

Something had happened. Something important. 

Memories slipped from his grasp as he clumsily tried to sort them. He’d wanted to apologize to his Jedi for something? For what, he wasn’t sure, that was all he could pin down. The more he reached, the further everything retreated. Frowning, he gave up after only a few frustrated seconds. 

Whatever it was, it would come to him later. Probably.

His foot twitched against nothing and he suddenly realized he was weightless. 

_ Bacta? _

The thought of being injured enough for full bacta immersion sent a spike of fear through him, alarm clearing his mind just enough to notice the General’s presence. 

That was good. The General and his daemon were both safe and calm. That meant Cody must be safe too. 

He should open his eyes just in case. 

It took a lot more effort than he was expecting. By the time he’d finally pried one eyelid apart he could hear familiar, muffled voices. There was a blurry mess of browns and tans and copper in front of him. He couldn’t get his vision to bring it into focus, but he already knew who it was. 

The indistinct sounds continued. Maybe, if he shut his eyes again, he could make out the words better. His General was always saying something important. 

“...ody, my de… ...on’t… ...if you can hear me, b… ...afe now… ...ere… ...a few m...” 

Closing his eyes was probably a mistake. The cadence was soothing. Cody wanted to listen, he enjoyed his Jedi’s voice, but the inky tides of fatigue soon washed over him. Unconsciousness lapped at the edges of his mind, tugging gently. 

Then it swiftly pulled him back under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment! they make my day!


	9. Medbay, Obi-Wan POV (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now from the outside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the pre-written stuff so things might slow down for a while, especially since i've just been moved from part-time to full-time and must now sacrifice 5 days a week on the altar of capitalism. that being said, i will continue working on this in whatever time i can scrounge so this is not the end!

This time, when he awoke, Cody seemed much more cognizant. He didn’t open his eyes at first, but his brows pulled together and, beneath the breathing mask, Obi-Wan could make out the hint of a frown. 

<His daemon’s still asleep.> Ben said through the bond as Obi-Wan stepped closer to the bacta tank.

<That seems to be the trend. Let’s hope it doesn’t continue for much longer.>

Ben nodded from his present perch on his nehreqah’s shoulder. <They’ll likely have to wait until he’s out of bacta to get acquainted.>

Audibly, Obi-Wan hummed in agreement. 

Then Cody twitched and suddenly his presence was filled with panic. 

_ He must think he’s still on the battlefield. _

Obi-Wan quickly placed a hand on the glass and focused. He plucked strands of serenity from within himself, preparing to give, only for the jagged, flailing, spikes of Cody’s Force presence to find him first--latching on and then smoothing out immediately. Instead of resisting what was technically a psychic attack, Obi-Wan and Ben dropped their shields entirely, allowing Cody to explore them in the Force to his satisfaction. 

If he was honest with himself, Obi-Wan had long wished that Cody could know him in this way. Could see Obi-Wan in the Force as brightly as Obi-Wan saw him. Could perceive the whole of his being rather than just the fragments he projected. To be trusted with the deepest parts of a person's mind was, while not inherently romantic, a type of intimacy that infinitely surpassed that of the flesh. 

Or at least, it did in Obi-Wan’s admittedly biased point of view.

Obviously, in his current state, Cody was unlikely to process much of what he was being given access to, but it still left Obi-Wan feeling slightly giddy all the same. 

“Cody, my dear, I don’t quite know if you can hear me, but you are safe now. Ben and I are right here. 

His eyes were still bleary and unfocused, but there was a definite spark in their amber depths that hadn’t been there last time. 

“Just a few more days,” Ben added, “we promise…”

As they spoke, Cody’s eyes fell closed again. At first he appeared to be concentrating, but gradually his face slackened. Obi-Wan had to stop himself from holding tight as the connection between them thinned and waned. As wonderful as it was, the man needed rest. 

There would hopefully be time later. 

Obi-Wan smiled. 

“Sleep well, my dear Commander.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Obi-Wan voice* yeah, sure, sex is probably great and all but have you /tried/ letting someone past your shields to see you as you truly are in a display of both trust and affection? 
> 
> (finally i get to actually draw attention to his aroace-ness in this fic!)


End file.
